BAGHDAD – Hundreds of Iraqis took part in scattered demonstrations on Sunday, calling for an improvement in basic services and the resignation of local government officials as unrest sweeps much of the Arab world.

In Baghdad, around 250 people gathered in the impoverished district of Bab al-Sham to protest against a lack of services. “It is a tragedy. Even during the Middle Ages, people were not living in this situation,” said engineer Furat al-Janabi.

Some carried a coffin with the word “services” written across it, while others called for the resignation of all members of the local council in their area.

Almost eight years after the U.S.-led invasion, Iraq’s infrastructure remains severely damaged. The country suffers a chronic water shortage, electricity supply is intermittent and sewage collects in the streets.